


all the songs and old wive's tales were lies

by margesimpson



Category: Invader Zim
Genre: Feelings Realization, I Wrote This Instead of Sleeping, M/M, Romance, Watching Someone Sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-09-27
Updated: 2019-09-27
Packaged: 2020-10-29 12:54:47
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 863
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20796959
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/margesimpson/pseuds/margesimpson
Summary: Zim has an epiphany as he watches his love sleep.





	all the songs and old wive's tales were lies

Zim remembers the first time his Membrane fell asleep in his precense vividly.

Zim had gracefully offered to help his Membrane reviewing reports of the dozens of experiments and prototype-testing that had taken place of the past week. He thoroughly enjoyed to witness the way his partner had taken on the task of advancing such primitive human technology to anything substantial, assuring himself that of course only his Membrane could be able to do so.

However, as the day went into night, Zim noticed how his beloved had become gradually sluggish, and his attention was slipping. Even when it came to Zim.

He had naturally not yet made any mistakes in his assessments, but Zim grew worried and had demanded he take on the remainder of the workload himself. His Membrane at first protested.

"Darling," he had said, to endear Zim (which it always did), "surely if we divide the work between us we would be able to finish in time and sleep-"

"I do not need sleep."

His Membrane's response time had slowed, Zim noted. "Oh? Is that common for your species?" Membrane then smiled wryly. "Or are you just saying that to put me to bed?"

"No!" Zim said, quite energetic compared to his Membrane's speech. "Irkens don't require sleep. Think of our PAKs as needing something akin to...erm...your 'batteries'. Instead of sleeping in intervals, we merely recharge without physical disruption." Zim ended his rambles with a gesture of dismissal. "It is difficult to explain."

"Hm," Membrane's hand held up his head, "sounds interesting. So, would you really be able to assess these on your own? Overnight?"

"Yes!"

"...you would do that for me?"

Zim scoffed at that. "For you? Anything."

And with a smile on his face, Membrane nodded to sleep, head rested on his desktop.

As Zim swiftly commented and corrected errors within the reports, he would catch a glimpse of his Membrane, asleep, and many thoughts had crossed his mind.

Among the first, which was notable to Zim, was his reaction to the sight of Membrane sleeping.

The need of sleep in humans is among many reasons why he considers them inferior to Irkens - if he were to see one sleep, he would snicker and chide. However, watching Membrane sleep was... soothing, Zim thought. He felt that of all the humans on this miserable planet, Membrane deserved to sleep - as a reward for his contribution to a race that don't deserve him, for his contribution to Zim's life, even. It wasn't a sign of weakness within Membrane - because his Membrane could not compare to any other inferior human in his species. It would be an insult to do so.

He liked to watch his Membrane sleep; the subtleties come through more easily in this idle state. His breathing, the way his body lifts and falls with every breath, the way his brows furrow in thought (or perhaps in his dreams?) and how his fingers move and flex (as if reacting to whatever was occupying his mind).

It was that night, that Zim pondered that his affections didn't only lay in what made Membrane so familiar and perhaps, Irken (superior), but also in what made Membrane so human. His Membrane, in so many ways, was the exception.

When there only was about quarter of the workload left, Zim got up from his seat and approached his sleeping Membrane. He cautiously reached and gently stroke his hand through his Membrane's hair so as to not disturb him.

Zim recalled the years of training that had been engraved into his worldview; to leave one so vulnerable is stupid. To be vulnerable means to be weak. Zim thought, in that moment, that Membrane was not weak or stupid for doing so. No, he thought, that Membrane must have trusted him.

Zim rested his hand for a moment on the back of Membrane's neck, the subtle rise and fall under his fingers. And in that moment Zim thought that this must be love.

A sight of their love.

In the morning, his Membrane awoke to piles of reports assessed and reviewed thoroughly, neatly filed and packed to be taken back to the labs, and would be greeted by a hesitant Zim kissing him on the cheek. He thanked Zim, and, in turn, stroked his antenna.

"Why are you so affectionate this morning?" Membrane had chuckled - a sound Zim had now cherished. "Not that I mind."

Zim had decided that night, as his beloved slept in his precense, that no silly human's love could compare to what he shares with his Membrane. They have no idea - those imbeciles could not fathom the love he shared with his exceptional, beloved Membrane.

And even then, their love wasnt so much as an exception, as it was a rule and fact that no human or Irken could comprehend. What they had was a love that needed no compromise, and did not bend to any norm, human or otherwise. All of the known universe were liars in love and could only envy what they had, Zim decided.

"I love you," Zim stated simply, instead.

"I love you, too," Membrane replied to Zim, because only he could.


End file.
